The White Fox
by MissTeak
Summary: One stormy winter night, she saved a fox kit from certain death. 10 years later, a mysterious young man came into her life by chance. She should have been afraid of his creepy smile and red eyes, but somehow, she felt like she had known him forever...
1. The Snowy Beginning

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: I had to write GinRan after chapter 416 of the manga. I just had to. I am trying to avoid the same ol' angst-ridden 'Why did you leave?' betrayal and death themes, but it seems so hard to do so when it comes to GinRan. But still, I've put the two of them in a completely different AU setting to make it a refreshing read for you guys, and I hope you enjoy this one!

This story will also revolve around supernatural and Northeast Asian mythical themes. The fox has always been regarded in Northeast Asian folklore as a creature with supernatural abilities, and have been known to be cunning and tricky especially when they assume human form. However, there are tales of foxes becoming faithful guardians, friends, guardians and even lovers.

**The White Fox**

* * *

The harsh winter winds were relentless, whipping her short strawberry blonde hair back while threatening to toss her tiny frame into the interminable expanse of blurry white.

Rangiku gritted her teeth and wrapped her woolen blanket tighter around herself, hastening her footsteps in a bid to get back into the comfort of her tiny hut. The hut was not much, but it was nonetheless good shelter from the unforgiving weather.

The snow was freezing against her feet; the flimsy straw sandals did nothing for her against the bitter cold. She would have to hurry if she wanted to survive this unexpected snowstorm, for her feet were almost numb and every breath of the wintry air left a burning trail from her nose, through her windpipe and to her lungs.

Then she saw it.

It was hard not to, for the splatter of crimson against a backdrop of pure, shimmering white was only too obvious.

Squinting to protect her eyes from the vicious winds, Rangiku could make out a white furry form lying in the snow, while a growing patch of red marred the pristine white fur. Trudging closer to the unmoving form, the little girl gasped inaudibly when she saw what creature it was.

A pointy snout, a pair of equally pointy ears, and a bushy tail…it was a fox.

Not just any fox, but a beautiful, wounded white fox.

Judging from its size, it was still far from being full-grown, which was why it must have underestimated the dangers of the hunter's trap in which it was caught. Sympathy and compassion flooded the little girl's tender heart at the sight of such a lovely creature suffering, and without a doubt, Rangiku dropped to her knees by the wounded fox's side.

Gingerly, she brushed the dusting of snow off its fur, hoping that the wounded creature would not snap at her in self-defense. The fox's eyes, colored a strange blood-red, opened weakly to look upon her, before closing again. Rangiku's eyes examined the bloodied leg locked in the hunter's trap observantly, before she realized that she had indeed, seen this particular sort of trap before. The grownups at her village often used this to catch wild animals, placing these traps in the deep mountains just so that the unsuspecting creatures could walk right into certain death.

She knew the way to undo the latch on the trap; she had seen it almost too many times.

Deftly, her chilled fingers worked the trap free, mindful to avoid placing extra pressure onto the fox's wounded appendage. It wasn't long before the jagged teeth of the trap sprang apart, and with a tiny whine of pain, the injured fox was free.

Expecting the creature to dash madly for the safety of its den somewhere within the snowy mountains, Rangiku was surprised when it simply turned around, dragging its injured leg piteously, to look at her. Crimson eyes locked onto her icy blue orbs as if speaking without words, and she slowly reached out to the fox with her hand.

"You're unable to move around with that bad leg, aren't you?" Her sweet, childish voice was almost drowned out by the haunting roar of the merciless winds. "Does it hurt very badly, little one?"

The tiny fox seemed to understand what she was saying, for it struggled to move forward against the direction of the wind to go to where the little girl's hand was. Dipping its head, the furry creature nuzzled Rangiku's palm, eliciting a giggle from her.

"Oh, your fur is so soft!" She exclaimed, before realizing that this little animal is surprisingly tame and helping it was now top priority. Its injured foreleg was obviously unable to take it too far, and should any hunters discover the trail of crimson, this adorable fox kit would be done for. That was an idea unfathomable to Rangiku; there was no way she could bring herself to leave the kit's side with the knowledge that it might spell its certain death.

Tearing a piece of her yukata sleeve out, Rangiku made quick work of tying the strip of fabric around the fox's bleeding wound, in hope of staunching the blood flow. With gentle hands, she lifted the furry creature to her chest level, smiling down encouragingly at it before brushing flecks of snow off its fur. Surprisingly, there was no resistance from the wounded creature, which struck her as somewhat odd. After all, she had been taught by some of the villagers that it was best not to approach an injured animal or touch it, for they might retaliate out of fear.

Yet this little fox kit was different. It didn't seem to be afraid of her in the least, and it appeared to be calmly receptive of her actions. If she wouldn't sound so crazy, Rangiku might even say it seemed to be smiling at her.

Pulling herself up, she continued trudging ahead in the snow, knowing that her hut at the outskirts of the village was not too far away.

"Are you cold?" She asked concernedly, cradling the little ball of fur closer to herself in a bid to dispel the chill it had to be feeling.

"Don't worry; we'll reach my home soon. I'll take care of you!"

So that was how the kind-hearted little orphan brought a new companion into her life. Little did she know that this chance encounter in the snowy forests beyond her village's boundaries would subsequently change her life forever.

* * *

Experienced from looking after herself, Rangiku had carefully nursed the tiny fox back to health. She had been an orphan for as long as she could remember, and had practically grown up on the kindness that the villagers had shown her. Without their care and concern, it would have been impossible for her to survive till this day. Now, the feeling of having saved another life made her very proud and pleased with herself.

It had taken a rather long time for the fox kit to reach a full recovery, but as winter bade Mother Nature goodbye and spring came by, the little creature was up on all four legs and running about. Thankfully, no permanent damage to the foreleg had been done by the hunter's trap, and the only reminder of the unfortunate incident was a scar on which silvery white fur now grew very sparsely.

The tiny fox kit was terribly adorable, and highly affectionate as well. It followed her everywhere around the tiny interior of her rather dilapidated hut, watching her go about doing simple chores like setting up a fire and preparing basic meals for herself. Even though it was wordless company, Rangiku was thankful enough for the presence of another living soul. She could talk to the little fox, sing to it, play with it and tell it stories about herself. While she knew very well that there was no way the fox could understand human speech, she nonetheless enjoyed talking to it.

It was sweet to have company, Rangiku concluded, after having grown up pretty much alone. It was one thing to have friends and playmates, but another to have a constant companion whom one spent day and night with. Gradually, she grew more and more attached to the little creature, unable to imagine living without it now that it had grown to be such an integral part of her life. She would go about her chores everyday after tending to her tiny companion, before going to the market in the morning to sell the vegetables she had grown outside her hut and the fish which she had carefully dried out in the sun.

But as much as she adored the idea of it, Rangiku never once brought her little fox out to the public areas. For the entire span of winter till late spring, the fox kit remained hidden in her home, for she'd never know if there were hunters out there who would forcibly take her fox away for its breathtakingly beautiful fur.

"Your coat is really pretty…I thought it was pure white like the snow, but it's actually silvery at the tips," Rangiku mused adorably as she petted the little fox curled up in her lap, smiling down at the creature. "Silver…I shall name you 'Gin' then! Do you like your name, Gin?"

The tiny fox simply nuzzled itself against her lap, stretching endearingly in an open-jawed yawn before closing its blood-red eyes in contentment.

"Oh Gin, you're a lazy one!" The little girl laughed merrily, lifting the kit off her lap to place it on her futon before lying down by its side. Stroking the silvery white fur softly along the length of Gin's back, down its tail such that the bristly tip slipped through her fingers, Rangiku smiled in contentment. "I'm so glad I found you."

The little girl's grateful whisper caught the fox kit's attention, and it straightened itself to regard her intently. Rangiku continued smiling at this display of rapt attention, before pulling herself up into a kneeling position on her thin futon. The crimson eyes did not tear themselves away from her face, and Rangiku nodded reassuringly, her messy strawberry blonde bob framing her childishly sweet face.

Picking the fox kit up, the little girl pressed a soft kiss to its head before cradling it snugly to her chest.

"What's wrong?" Rangiku whispered gently, watching the usual smile on the fox's face disappear to be replaced by what seemed to be a tiny hint of doubt.

"Don't look as if you doubt me, Gin." She laughed softly, kissing the furry creature again. "You will always be mine, as I am yours."

A joyful yip escaped her fox kit, and Rangiku's laughter grew merrier as little Gin wriggled out of her grasp to tackle her playfully. The two young ones rolled about the futon playing, until the little girl gradually fell asleep from exhaustion. Her fox kit stayed by her side, studying her peaceful features with its unwavering gaze. The spring night breeze was cooling, carrying the scents of a thousand blooms on it, bringing a sense of tranquility to the surroundings.

It wasn't long before Gin's furry frame stiffened at the sounds of long, beautiful howl-like cries coming from a distance in the darkness.

The hauntingly beautiful sounds continued, but Rangiku was deep in her slumber. She did not notice the cries, and neither did she notice the way her fox kit would slowly approach the door with every cry, only to run back to her side to hide its head underneath the sheets as if trying to block the sounds out.

But still, the inevitable happened.

One balmy night in early summer, the nightly cries resonated again. This time round, the little fox kit lost its battle to instincts.

When morning arrived and golden sun rays peeped through the gaps in the wooden ceiling, Rangiku stirred sleepily on her futon. Her hand reached out habitually for the warm fur ball which had spent so many nights sleeping by her side, intending to run her fingers through the soft fur.

But alas, she felt no fur underneath her fingertips. All she could feel was the chill of the cotton surface of her futon at where her beloved little fox was supposed to be. He must have woken up and gone exploring around the hut, she decided, fighting the traces of weariness in her to drag herself into an upright position.

Her childish voice, confident and slightly commanding, called out, "Gin! Come here!"

But there was no familiar pitter-patter of paws over the dirt floor, and neither did the blur of furry white hurtle into her arms.

Frowning, she tried again.

"Gin, where are you?"

Unknowingly, her voice had grown louder, more desperate. The earlier confidence was rapidly ebbing away. Hastily kicking her sheets off her, she half-clambered and half-sprinted to the door, only to realize that there was a small gap between the wooden door and the frame. It was not large enough for her to go through, but definitely more than enough for the little fox kit to do so.

"Gin!" The earlier questioning note in her voice faded to be replaced by urgency, and the little girl pushed the door open to run out into the sunshine. "Gin! Where are you? Come back!"

Still, there was no response. The only thing she could hear was the chirping of the birds which had risen early to catch worms. There were no random yips or frustrated little yelps as she was used to hearing from him as he played. She searched around the hut, checking every nook and cranny within sight, hoping to catch a glimpse of silver glinting in the sunlight.

It was no use; he was nowhere in sight. Her best friend was gone. She had treated the smiley fox kit like family...

"Gin!" Her childish voice screamed, unable to believe that her little companion had left without warning. What had she done wrong? Had she not been taking good care of him? Had he been unhappy in her presence?

A strange, overwhelming sense of loss washed over Rangiku; tears were rapidly welling up in her eyes and her knees gave in to the urge to buckle. She detested this feeling. She hated it when people came and left as if they didn't matter to her at all. Now, even the little kit was doing it to her. Hadn't she told him before that she would always be his, and he would always be hers?

"Why did you leave...? Gin...don't leave me alone..."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	2. Ten Years Later

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Thank you for your kind reviews, **crazyfreakzoid, talkstoangels77, CrimsonXue, Craftygirl, ShadowDemonQueen97 **and** EvilynMetal**! *hands out smiley little fox Gin plushies*

It's nice to see that you like the story so far, and I'll work hard on the following chapters. I understand the concern over the lack of interaction between little Rangiku and baby fox Gin, but there will definitely be quite a few flashbacks along the way to give you more fluffy mental images of their time together. I didn't want to drag the interaction on and on in the first few chapters and make him leave, partly because I intend to make little Rangiku grow up soon so we can move on with the plot.

This story shouldn't be too long (those who know me from the Sesshoumaru/Kagome fandom would understand why) but nonetheless, I hope you'll enjoy it. I was entertaining the idea of writing a lemon, since we know how rare lemons are for GinRan, so...let me know what you think!

**The White Fox**

* * *

"Rangiku!" A familiar male voice called out from across the tea plantation on which she was working, before the young girl looked up with a smile that could rival the brilliance of the summer sun shining above.

"Shuuhei!" She called back at the top of her lungs, standing up straight to wave enthusiastically at the handsome young man. "You've come!"

Ten years had gone by since the bitter winter during which the little girl had saved the life of an injured fox kit. While the rickety old hut at the outskirts of the village remained almost the same, its sole occupant was no longer the skinny little girl clad in tattered hemp yukatas, but a young, voluptuous lady at the age of nineteen. What had once been a short, unkempt bob was now a full crown of long strawberry blonde waves, mesmerizing with how they glinted at certain angles under the golden sunshine. Her sparkling, icy blue eyes were as refreshingly captivating as ever, especially so in the heat of the summer, while her innocent dolly face had matured into a girlish yet sexy visage.

As if her pretty face was not enough in drawing attention from the village boys, her once-emaciated body had filled out perfectly with good nourishment brought about by her hard-earned money and care from her fellow villagers. Her full cleavage, which was initially more of an embarrassment than anything else when she realized that no yukata lapels could cover it entirely, was now flaunted with feminine pride. Being an amicable and lovable girl by nature, Rangiku had managed her interpersonal relationships well, turning even the most ardent of suitors into friends with whom she went drinking and playing with.

Besides, everyone in the village knew by now - Matsumoto Rangiku pretty much belonged to Hisagi Shuuhei, the adoptive son of one of the most skillful hunters in their village, Muguruma Kensei.

There had been many broken hearts when the young men of the village realized that Rangiku and Shuuhei were exceptionally close, but as time went by, even the most devastated man would admit that the two of them made a stunning couple. They had been playing together every since he moved into the village at the age of thirteen with his adoptive father.

"Took you long enough! I'm starving!" Rangiku chided affectionately, pouting as a panting Shuuhei came to a stop in front of her. Taking the box wrapped in cloth from the young man, who was still breathing heavily from having sprinted all the way from the other end of the tea plantation, the strawberry blonde girl patted his shoulder gratefully. This was what she liked very much about Shuuhei; he would always see to it that she was cared for, even if it meant having to go the extra mile on his part.

Tall, lean-built with boyishly rugged features, Hisagi Shuuhei had a powerful, mature and calm demeanor to him which contrasted with his physical appearances. He was youthful, good-looking and highly skilled at hunting, but he held none of the unbridled, wild personality which one might expect from him, especially with the three faint scars that led from his right forehead all the way down the length of his cheek. Since the time when she had met him at the age of eleven, Shuuhei had always given Rangiku the impression that he was responsible, trustworthy and definitely dependable upon. On top of these positive personality traits, he was also surprisingly talented at music and cooking.

Shuuhei laughed as Rangiku plopped down onto the soft grass in the shade of the tall Japanese pagoda trees at the borders of the plantation, eagerly unwrapping the lunch box he had brought to her. She must have been really hungry, he thought amusedly as he watched her put a large mouthful of rice into her mouth after mumbling the customary _'I will partake!'_. Chewing appreciatively, Rangiku hummed contentedly as she continued stuffing herself with food.

"This is so good, Shuuhei!" She exclaimed, her voice muffled from the food in her mouth. Shuuhei was really blessed with excellent culinary skills, unlike herself. "Thank you for bringing me lunch!"

"You like it?"

She gave him an incredulous look before attacking the lunch box with her chopsticks again. "Of course!"

"Eat slowly, Rangiku," He laughed as she gulped to swallow the large mouthfuls she had taken. For someone with such a dainty, feminine mouth, Rangiku possessed the puzzling ability to shovel a lot of food past those lovely lips. It was almost unbelievable how someone could look so beautiful even when she was eating ungracefully, but Rangiku was really a lovely sight to behold no matter what she did.

She grinned at him, before blue eyes widened in surprise and the bright playful grin faded into a small, inaudible gasp. Rangiku could clearly feel Shuuhei's fingertips as he tucked a freshly fallen Japanese pagoda flower behind the shell of her ear, and before she could even react to it, she heard his voice, quiet and sincere.

"If you wish for me to, I'd be more than willing to cook for you everyday."

"Of course you would!" She shook her initial nervousness off and laughed, raising her eyebrows mischievously at him. "You've been doing it all the time, anyway. What, you mean you've considered otherwise?"

Shuuhei did not laugh in response as she had expected him to. Instead, his handsome features wore a tinge of wistfulness, and those eyes of his shone with a fierce determination. "I mean it, Rangiku. I will take care of you forever."

She fell silent.

This was really kind of Shuuhei, but still, it was a little too much for Rangiku. The way he had said it made it sound like he was envisioning _more_ with her, and it wasn't quite what she would expect or wish for at this point in her life. They were the best of friends, weren't they? He cared for her, as she cared deeply for him. He was someone she could and would always trust. She had once concluded, on one of the many lonesome nights she had spent, that it would have been rather nice to have Shuuhei by her side for always.

But why was she feeling so uncomfortable?

She tried to tell herself it was alright to not think so much about it, and instead, concentrate on how kind and sweet Shuuhei was. She should be elated; this was the young man whom every single girl in the village wanted to be with. She should be feeling very privileged and honored to have heard such sincere, heartfelt words from him.

The discomfort she was feeling deep within her chest ate at her earlier voracious appetite, and she gently placed her chopsticks down onto the wooden box in which her home-cooked lunch was contained. Suddenly, the delicious grilled fish which she had been eating with relish did not seem too tempting, and the earlier fragrance of the rice was bordering on being nauseating.

Hisagi Shuuhei was not a fool; he could clearly see that his words had affected Rangiku a lot more than he had meant for them to. In fact, on the many occasions when he had mentally rehearsed his lines, he had imagined her to be happy, pleasantly surprised, elated and even ecstatic. He had not imagined, not even on one occasion, that she would look so greatly...troubled.

He must have scared her badly with his words, however truthful and sincere they might be. How stupid of me, he silently cursed himself, hoping her hadn't scared her _too_ badly.

"Rangiku?" His voice was quiet, slightly fearful. It was uncharacteristic of him; fear and Hisagi Shuuhei did not go in the same sentence.

"Hm?"

"Did I say something that made you...unhappy?"

How could one answer to such a question honestly? To say no would be a blatant lie, but to say yes...it would be worse, for she would hurt Shuuhei's feelings. That was something she would never do if she could help it.

"No," Rangiku replied, her fingers fiddling with the ends of her long wavy hair as she feigned interest in them. "Not at all."

Her answers seemed to have fallen on deaf ears, for Shuuhei continued quietly, staring out into the sun-drenched vastness of the tea plantation. Did he not believe her words? "Is it because I said I wanted to take care of you forever?"

_"Yes, it is."_ Her mind replied without a second thought, but rationality was quick to grip her before those words could spill from her lips.

"No, Shuuhei, it's not." She replied, adding a small smile as if to emphasize her point, only to notice the way his shoulders dip slightly as if relaxed, and his handsome, rugged features lit up with a relieved smile. A warm sense of peace washed over her with the knowledge that Shuuhei was no longer upset with her, and Rangiku could not help but think how adorable he looked at that moment.

Shuuhei turned to her to face her fully, before giving her a questioning smile as he tilted his chin lightly in the direction of her lunch box. "Then why have you stopped eating?"

With a tinge of guilt eating at her, Rangiku looked down at the half-eaten lunch box in her lap, before answering somewhat half-heartedly. "I...I am full. It's probably because I ate too fast."

"Silly girl," He mused affectionately, leaning backwards in his sitting position to prop himself up with one palm against the grass while his other hand reached up to play with her hair. They were like strands of luxurious gold under the sunlight, yet so soft and real. On them, the rich scent of tea leaves lingered elegantly. "You'll get to eat it every day, so you don't have to force yourself to eat quickly. I'm just...glad you like the things I do for you."

Rangiku nodded wordlessly, unable to disagree with him.

She had always been alone with barely any friends until she met Shuuhei at the age of eleven. Being two years her senior, Shuuhei had always been helping her out in all sorts of situations, from fending off bullies to helping her out with her chores and to making sure that she was cared for. In fact, as the son of a hunter, he had often brought over pieces of fresh meat to cook for her just so that she had more to eat than vegetables and bits of dried fish.

He talked with her late into the nights when she was all alone and couldn't fall asleep, told her interesting stories of his adventures with his father, and comforted her when she used to burst into tears randomly upon remembering a furry companion she once had but lost. He lent her toys to play with, and often invited her over to his place for dinner with his father. Muguruma Kensei might come across as a loud, overly-built brute, but he too, housed a heart of gold within his chest. On top of that, after Muguruma-san married a lovely lady named Mashiro from the neighboring village, their household became even warmer with familial joy. Rangiku liked their little family very, very much indeed, and looked forward to every dinner invitation.

Hence, when Shuuhei had mentioned that she liked everything he did for her, it was impossible for Rangiku to refute. How could she, when it was nothing but the truth? But then again, she had not counted on conveniently agreeing to the implied meanings that came along with the truth.

She couldn't afford to give him the wrong idea, Rangiku decided.

"Shuuhei-"

"Rangiku is very, very important to me." His voice was small but unwavering, and she could sense the raw, masculine determination within. Like Shuuhei, Rangiku was no fool. She was definitely old enough to understand what her closest friend was saying, but even so, she held no answers to his implied questions.

Stiffly, the handsome young man shifted in his relaxed position on the grass to raise himself into an upright sitting position. Gently, he reached out for Rangiku's hand, wrapping his calloused digits around her slender fingers. Instinctively, her fingers flinched, but Shuuhei only tightened his hold.

What was this feeling? She questioned herself repeatedly, not knowing the reasons behind her sudden urge to put some distance between herself and the young man whom she had spent her teenage years with. She had never felt like this before. In the past, Rangiku had only been too excited to see Shuuhei every time they met. Yet she was now feeling the need to walk away from him, as if being near him was uncomfortable.

"Do you know what I mean, Rangiku?"

_No, don't ask me such questions..._her mind raced to grapple with the heartfelt yet impossibly heavy words that Shuuhei had just spoken. His eyes were fixed on her so intently, and she felt like she had to give a response of some sort no matter what, lest he continued questioning.

"I...I..." She started, highly unsure how she should deal with this situation.

Yet it was then when Shuuhei suddenly released a breath of amusement, before releasing his hold on her. Rangiku could feel his hand patting her head endearingly, before hearing his voice again, "It's strange for me to see you display none of your usual confidence."

"Shuuhei, I-"

"It's alright; you don't have to fear. I'm not looking for answers, Rangiku." He smiled at her, and she hurriedly returned one of her own, feeling relief engulf her. "All I want is for you to understand, and hopefully, that we share a common understanding."

The kindness, patience and respect for her from Shuuhei touched her deeply; this was the real Shuuhei she knew. This was how she liked him to be - mature, thoughtful, caring with...

...a certain degree of distance between them.

Yet she knew it was going to be way harder than she was trying to believe, for time waited for no man, and they could no longer remain as the children who ran around playing tag or the teenagers dreaming about the future. They were both at a marriageable age; it was a question which would come sooner or later. She had told herself that it would be such a privilege and an honor to be able to marry someone like Shuuhei, yet now that she was potentially doing so, the idea no longer seemed so attractive. But still, she knew that even if she had to marry him eventually, it would not be a bad thing. He could give her the family and stability she craved since she was a child.

Her eyes studied his face, while her own involuntarily scrunched between the brows in a frown. Short, unruly dark hair...an intense, smoldering gaze...well-defined brows...a high, strong nose bridge...Shuuhei was indeed a very fine-looking man, even with the scars which he had apparently gotten when he was attacked by a fox many years ago. Why hadn't she noticed it before, Rangiku wondered, silently lamenting the lost years where she had been just the little girl, and he, the little boy. Her hand reached up gradually to his cheek, while her fingertips stretched to touch the midnight gray spikes of his hair-

_Silver. A flash of silver._

She gasped, withdrawing her hand as if she had gotten burned.

"Are you alright, Rangiku?" Shuuhei was quick to ask, wondering what had elicited such a response from the lovely girl by his side. "What's wrong?"

Shaking her head, she shifted a few inches away from him. "No-nothing, Shuuhei...I'm fine. Sorry for making you worried."

It was Shuuhei's turn to shake his head in reassurance that he had not taken offense in the least. "You can tell me if there's anything wrong. I'll always be here for you..."

_"You will always be mine; as I am yours."_

_"You will always be mine; as I am yours."_

___"You will always be mine; as I am yours."_

___Where had those words come from? Why were they reverberating in her mind?_

"...Rangiku! Are you alright?"

Shuuhei's concerned voice snapped her out of her reverie, and she realized she had practically been daydreaming in front of him.

But as she silently allowed him to fuss over her, not processing a single word of what he had said, Rangiku couldn't help but think of those words and the sudden flash of silver across her eyes...

* * *

_To be continued..._

A/N: I totally adore Hisagi too, but I needed a good man for the role of the 'other man', so I chose him. Hisagi/Rangiku is a pretty cool pairing too, since they look good together, but GinRan has totally stolen my heart and hasn't given it back! We will see our dear Gin very, very soon!


	3. A Mysterious Savior

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: It's so sweet to see long, sincere reviews from you lovely readers! Special thanks to **ShadowDemonQueen97, CrimsonXue, RabbitBleachFan, Bucketlove, Kigaroo, Maddie-san and nobody's! ***hands out chibi Gin-shaped cookies*

Gin makes his appearance in this chapter (YAY!), so enjoy! But of course, the relationship between our favorite couple is going to take time to build up.

**The White Fox**

* * *

The crickets and cicadas sang their nightly song in the balmy summer air, as if serenading the pearly full moon hanging high above in the indigo expanse of sky. With the lack of human voices and chatter, the earthy and woody scents of nature seemed exceptionally pronounced, reaching deep into Rangiku's lungs as if to refresh her soul.

Alas, it did not work. She was still as troubled as before.

It must be really late by now, she thought to herself as she sat motionlessly in the middle of the moonlit clearing deep within the forest. Her shift on the tea plantation had ended hours ago, but Rangiku did not feel like going home, not when Shuuhei might be there waiting for her.

An exasperated sigh escaped her, and her chilly hands automatically found their way to her heated face, pressing the palms against skin.

She disliked this; she disliked every moment of this. Why did they even had to grow up? It would have been great if they could remain little children forever, when issues such as marriage were none of their concern. Now, the issue seemed to be looming over them like a black thundercloud, threatening to rain any moment.

It did not help that everyone in the village was starting to ask her about her 'marriage' to Shuuhei. What had begun innocently as a friendly after-dinner joke among friends had evolved into an unspoken 'fact' among the villagers. Rangiku had almost lost count of the number of times she had to convince her fellow villagers that she wasn't planning on marrying Shuuhei anytime soon, especially since they had developed the most frustratingly amusing manner of asking her when the wedding was going to be held. As if the situation was not troubling enough, Muguruma Kensei and his wife, Mashiro, seemed utterly convinced that Rangiku was going to marry their son, and were already treating her like the potential daughter-in-law.

It was not as if the idea of marrying Shuuhei was _repulsive_. It most definitely wasn't.

However, a tiny, rebellious voice in Rangiku's mind kept insisting that she had to feel more enthusiastic about the marriage if she wanted to be happy with Shuuhei. On the many occasions when she had tried to talk herself into accepting the fact that she was going to be Hisagi Shuuhei's bride, Rangiku had treated the idea as if it was a final resort. It was, to her, marrying for the sake of getting married because everyone around her was convinced that she would marry Shuuhei eventually.

She didn't want that.

Furthermore, there was another reason. This reason, unlike the other, was far more illogical, strange and unexplainable, but it was the strongest impediment in her potentially inevitable marriage to Shuuhei.

The word 'strange' would be an understatement, for Rangiku could not come up with any explanation no matter how she attempted to. For every time she mentally said yes to marrying Shuuhei, a rush of powerful, churning emotions would sweep violently through her. It would grow steadily in her chest like a dull ache in the recesses of her heart, before rising like an unbridled tide to reach an emotionally painful level. The emotional ache was so intense; she had actually thought the pain to be physical, only to realize that everything was very much contained within her mind and soul.

Rangiku had no idea as to why she would feel this way, for all she had for clues were the erratic flashes of silver behind her closed eyelids, and all she could do in a futile bid to alleviate the pain was to press her palm against her bosom. A part of her was missing, she once thought, judging from the way her soul felt hollow and cold. Yet how could that be, when she was in the pink of health and leading a good, decent life?

But she needed something.

It was not a haughty statement made out of greed; Rangiku wasn't one of those women with insatiable appetites for wealth, fame and glory. The reasons behind her need for that _something_, whatever it was, did not include that of Shuuhei being inadequate in any way.

Rather, Rangiku simply needed something because she did.

It was as simple as that. Something was missing from her life, and she needed it.

_Crack!_

The crackling sounds of twigs underneath feet brought her back to reality, and Rangiku hastily berated herself for allowing her crazy self-musings to get to her again.

Her sanity was really getting more and more questionable with every passing day; just what on earth was she thinking? It wasn't as if all her thinking helped in any way. In fact, this session of silent pondering had proved itself to be nothing but counter-productive. Not only did she fail to come up with a decent solution to the situation, Rangiku had effectively deprived herself of a few hours of much-needed sleep. She still had to come to work at the tea plantation early in the morning.

Exasperated and highly annoyed by her meaningless musings, Rangiku pulled herself up into a standing position, absentmindedly brushing blades of grass off her kimono. She should head home soon; it was not safe to be out too late, especially in these forests at night.

There are all sorts of creatures lurking in the darkness, and she had heard her fair share of legends and folk tales revolving around legendary magical creatures, such as the _okuri-inu _(escorting dog), the raccoon spirits and others. Rangiku did not know if they were true in any way, for she had never met one of those supernatural creatures, at least not that she knew of. From what she had heard, some of them were benevolent, some were playful while some could be cruel and bloodthirsty. Legend or not, it was better to be safe than sorry. Besides, Shuuhei might be worried for her safety should he go to her place and discover her missing. The last thing she wanted was for him to form a search party consisting of his fellow hunters and start combing the mountains in search of her, and Rangiku could not help the tiny giggle that escaped her when she imagined Shuuhei's paranoid expression.

She had not even taken more than three steps forward when she heard it - the low, threatening rumble of an animalistic growl from behind her.

Rangiku froze. The growl was low and lengthy, while the intensity of the rumbling betrayed the size and strength of the creature behind her, whatever it was. Rangiku felt her senses heighten in the face of impending trouble, and her knees had stiffened from the fear and uncertainty that were now coursing through her mind. A tiny film of perspiration began to form on her skin as mounting anxiety gripped her.

There was an animal behind her, and it most definitely was not friendly in any way. She must have trespassed its territory in some way, or it could be too hungry...she didn't know, wild beasts were beasts no matter what. Understanding their characteristics fully was beyond her ability.

Torn between the two choices of either staying rooted to the ground or making a run for safety, Rangiku gasped softly when she heard two other different growls join the earlier one. The threatening growls magnified in frequency and volume, causing goose bumps to erupt all over her skin. Instinctively, she took a shaky step forward, before looking over her shoulder to look at the intimidating beasts.

Glowing amber-beige eyes met hers, sending another bout of chill up her spine despite the surrounding summer warmth. Biting her lower lip, Rangiku suppressed another gasp as she hastily retreated. To her, it might have been an instinctive defensive move, but to her attackers, it was a blatant display of fear which they could exploit. A fearsome growl built up steadily before escaping sharp canine jaws as a warning bark that rang high into the air, and she could now make out five pairs of menacing eyes and silhouettes which slowly made their way out into the moonlit clearing.

_Wild dogs_, she realized worriedly, unable to help the way her body instinctively moved backwards with every forward step the dogs took. With the exception of the wolves residing in the high mountains, the wild dogs were probably everyone's greatest fear. Their usual prey consisted of smaller creatures like wild peasants, but they had been known to attack larger animals such as goats and even buffaloes in groups. Taking a defenseless girl down would come as easy as a piece of cake for these vicious and powerful creatures, and Rangiku could not help but remember a particular incident from five years ago, when an old man from her village had been found mauled to death...

By now, Rangiku's mouth was parched from the growing panic, beads of perspiration were trickling down her name and her inner system was shutting out all cries of rationality, screaming hysterically for her to sprint in the opposite direction. Help was not going to come at such late hours, and staying rooted was clearly not an option; the dogs were already starting to circle her, growling menacingly as they stared at her with their cold amber eyes. They looked so feral with their parted jaws as strings of drool dripped from their razor-sharp canines.

One of her trembling feet moved back slowly, while her arms were held out in front of her in a defensive pose to deter any potential attack. If she had to put up a fight, she would do so. She would be damned if she revealed her fear to these wild dogs; they would undoubtedly strike should she allow them to think of her as an easy target.

_Don't come any closer...don't come any closer..._Rangiku chanted inwardly, hoping for a miracle that these wild beasts would not give chase.

One of the wild dogs growled at her with renewed ferocity, and as much as she'd hate to admit it, it seemed to be intent on attacking. Nervously, Rangiku took another step backward as the creature closed in on her.

It's getting closer and closer, she concluded nervously, forgetting what Shuuhei had once taught her to do when facing a threatening wild beast. Technically speaking, Rangiku was supposed to stand up tall and face the creature bravely, proving to it that she was in no way submissive and weak. She was also told to make loud, intimidating yells to scare the creature away. Yet theories were still theories; she did not know how she could apply them to this situation.

In that instant, her rationality snapped to give way to instincts. A desperate cry escaped her lips as she hitched her yukata up to allow her legs to take larger strides, sprinting mindlessly in the direction of an opening in the circle formed by the predatory wild dogs.

Unfortunately, it was a wrong move. A potentially fatal wrong move.

An agonized scream pierced the night air, silencing ferocious, maniacal barks for two seconds when Rangiku felt a flesh-splitting pressure on her left shoulder. Heated damp breath and guttural panting could be felt and heard from beside her face, and she realized how one of the wild dogs had launched itself onto her, sinking its razor-sharp teeth into her soft flesh while clawing viciously at her back to steady itself. Her back arched as white hot pain blinded her for a moment.

Seeing that their intended victim was obviously terrified, the rest of the wild dogs wasted no time in joining in the attack, snapping their jaws at Rangiku's calves while leaping at her forcefully to try to bring her down onto the ground. The bites hurt so badly, lacerating flesh and spilling blood.

Screaming and thrashing about to shake off the vicious grip of the animal's jaws on her shoulder, Rangiku stumbled over her own feet, lurching dangerously to the side before taking two shaky steps forward in a bid to escape. Her right fist came forcefully into contact with the snout of the wild dog latched by its canines on her shoulder, hitting repeatedly to get the animal off her. The beast loosened its bite, but it did not deter the rest, for another had sank its teeth into her forearm, eliciting a strangled wail of agony.

_Someone...anyone...please, help me..._

Desperate, incoherent cries for help were escaping her lips like a mantra as she tried to fend the vicious, snarling beasts off with her meager strength. Rangiku had never liked the idea of being a damsel in distress, but her energy was quickly ebbing away, and she did not want to die such a terrible death. Mental images of her mauled, decomposing corpse lying in a pool of coagulated blood against the crisp green of the grass flashed across her mind...

"Gangin' up on a defenseless lady...it ain't fair." A distinct Kyoto dialect-accented voice interrupted from the darkness. "Tsk, tsk...Shame on ya."

It was a man, whoever it was. Rangiku had never been happier to hear another human being's voice.

"H-Help..." She called out faintly, feeling the world around her begin to spin wildly as blood continued escaping her system.

"My, my...ya should 'ave known better than to bully what's _mine_..."

Rangiku's addled mind could make out the transformation of menacing, blood-curdling barks into high-pitched whimpers, and how the pungent, damp breath from the dogs was no longer engulfing her. Her head dipped forward weakly, while her lungs fought to take in deep breaths of much-needed oxygen.

As suddenly as the attack had begun, it ceased.

It was as if time had been frozen at this very moment.

But...he had merely talked to them. She was quite positive that she hadn't heard sounds of a man battling those beasts.

"Ya alright?"

"I...I-" She panted heavily, unaware of what was going on. Her hair was unruly around her blood stained face, shielding her vision and hiding the stranger from view. Yet despite all these, she knew she should be safe...there was a calming sensation spreading through her.

"Ya'll be alright," The voice continued as if it was merely commenting on the weather. Light-hearted, sing-song and slightly condescending. "I'll take care of ya."

Rangiku tried to raise her head to take a look at her savior.

_Those words...they are so familiar..._

A flash of silver and blood red was all she saw before she felt her weakened knees give way, coming into contact with the earthy ground at her feet. Too weak to do anything else, her drained body lurched forward limply to collapse on the grass. Lying on her chest with her head turned to the side, Rangiku could see the morbidly shredded, blood-drenched cotton of her yukata at where her shoulder was. Her arm was wet and sticky with the blood oozing out of the painful bite wounds there, while the deep scratches on her back and legs were starting to hurt with a burning sensation.

Yet she felt at peace.

She felt peace like she had never felt before, even though every cell in her battered body was practically screaming in excruciating agony.

"Thank you..." She whispered almost inaudibly, not knowing if her strange savior could hear her. Strange or not, this man had come in time to save her from certain death.

Then she thought she heard the male voice continue talking over the high-pitched whimpers and agonized howls from the wild dogs, but her mind could not focus no matter how hard she tried. Black spots were dancing in front of her eyes, despite them being wide open, and before she knew it, the spots had completely invaded her vision.

Everything went black.

_

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To be continued…_


	4. Ichimaru Gin

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: This is the chapter everyone has been waiting for, so without further ado, let's get to reading! A small note here, though most fans should know by now that our beloved Gin has magical eyes which can be blue or red or whatever color Kubo Tite chooses to make them, so don't be too shocked by the blue eyes in this chapter!

Special thanks to my lovely reviewers: **EvilynMetal, RabbitBleachFan, Whiskey2011, Tinni, KandaSayori5076, AVAgrl, ShadowDemonQueen97 and Shadow Liu**! *Baby fox kit Gin gives you kisses*

**~The White Fox~**

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_"Look, Gin! The persimmons we've picked yesterday have dried so nicely in the sun!" Rangiku exclaimed, bringing in the rattan basket half-filled with sun-dried persimmon. She was very proud of herself; the dried persimmons would definitely fetch a decent price when she sold them at the market tomorrow._

_The tiny fox kit ran adorably to the little girl, prancing excitedly and yipping away at her feet as if it was genuinely happy for her._

_Reaching down with a hand, Rangiku ruffled the downy fur on Gin's head affectionately. "Thank you, Gin! I wonder if you're really happy for me, or if you're just trying to get a piece of persimmon?"_

_It was almost uncanny how the fox kit appeared capable of understanding human speech, for Rangiku could have sworn that those little fox ears drooped slightly upon hearing her words. The adorable sight made her feel a twinge of guilt for doubting her little friend, and the little girl reached into her rattan basket to retrieve a small piece of dried persimmon._

_Placing it at the fox kit's snout, she smiled encouragingly when he looked up at her in confusion._

_"It's for you," She graced him with a smile as radiant as sunshine. "For being so sweet and supportive."_

_Being omnivorous, the little fox wasted no time in finishing the sweet, tasty morsel, evidently liking it very much._

_"Oooh, you like dried persimmon too, Gin!" Little Rangiku exclaimed, laughing merrily as bits of the persimmon's moist center stained her beloved fox kit's snout light brown. "Was it delicious?"_

"Ya bet it was, Rangiku." A voice drawled languidly as eyes of turquoise blue fixed themselves on the slumbering strawberry blonde on the futon. Her lips were parted in a small, endearing smile, and she was whispering incoherent words which barely made sense.

But he knew what she was thinking about. He always did ten years ago, and always would.

For she was his, and he was hers.

_Cradling the tiny fox close to herself as they sat at her doorstep, watching the pearly full moon and the majestic sprinkle of shining stars above in the velvety skies, Rangiku asked quietly._

_"Does Gin have any family?" Her question was of course, more of musing than a real question intended to yield a response. There was no way a fox could comprehend human speech. "Or are you like me, all alone in this world?"_

_The little fox licked her cheek lovingly, before nuzzling the top of its head against the crook of her neck._

_"I guess you have family members, haven't you? They must be wondering where you are, Gin, and will be worried for you. Will they be mad at me for keeping you here?" Rangiku asked as if she was contemplating releasing the fox kit back into the wild, yet ironically tightening her arms around it._

_Once again, she received another reassuring lick which made her giggle and evade the tiny pink tongue._

_Kissing the top of the fox kit's head, Rangiku continued wistfully, "I am being selfish, but I don't want Gin to go. You must have many friends and family members to love you, but...but..."_

_Her voice faltered when the emotions grew too heavy for her childish, innocent heart to bear. "...I only have Gin. Promise you'll never leave me alone?"_

_This time round, there was no reassuring lick from the fox kit, and neither were there adorable little yaps and yips. _

_He simply fell very quiet._

"...I've never left ya alone, Rangiku. I've had no choice, ya kno'...but," The silver-haired man sitting by the sleeping woman's side shrugged with a wide yet unreadable smile lingering on his lips. The moonshine from the full moon hanging high up in the inky skies peeked through the gap he had left in the shoji door to illuminate his features, giving him an ethereal air of mystery. "I've always been 'ere. Y'haven't forgotten me, 'ave ya?"

Reaching out with his bony, pale fingers, he trailed them along the soft creamy curve of her cheek, before intertwining those digits among her strawberry blonde tresses. They were so soft and silky, just like he had remembered them to be.

It was a shame they had been stained earlier by coagulated blood, bits of grass and most unfortunately, wild dog spittle. He had never been so eager in washing other beasts' scents off something. Recounting the dreadful incident, he realized that the only source from which he could derive comfort was the sight of his hands drenched in thick, crimson blood with clumps of brown, bristly fur sticking to them.

Damn those wild dogs; they deserved every bit of their pathetic, messy end.

"Ya must 'ave been terrified eh, Rangiku?" He drawled endearingly, the smile never leaving his face. "There's nothin' ta fear now...I took care of 'em all. It's now my turn ta protect ya."

Pouting in a way that could either be described as playful or downright creepy or a mixture of both, the silver-haired man shook his head as if amusedly exasperated. The wounds on the girl's body were so hideous, marring her breathtaking beauty, and he hated them with a passion despite not revealing so on his face. "Oh well, it must 'ave been my fault...I should 'ave warned 'em to stay away from what's mine."

Slit eyes became almost arched in contentment when he leaned over to nuzzle the crook of her neck with the top of his silvery head, rubbing himself affectionately against her, in a move that would undoubtedly scare the pretty lady very badly should she be conscious. _Humans 'ave no idea what they're missin'..._he mused.

"Do ya remember the time we went ta the flower field? We've had so much fun..." He continued in his distinct Kyoto dialect, leaning forward to smile wider at the young woman when he noticed her eyelashes fluttering like the delicate wings of a newly-formed butterfly. She was still soundly asleep, and he pouted mischievously as he figured that she had most probably forgotten about that particular moment they had shared.

After all, his lovely Rangiku had forgotten quite a bit of their time spent together. But he wouldn't blame her; she had merely been nine years old back then when they had first met. Ten years was a very long time for humans indeed, he thought. But ten years could apparently work magic, turning a sweet little girl into a splendid, attractive young woman.

Keeping the perpetual smile on his face, he playfully drew two tiny circles in the air with his index finger, before pressing its tip against the young woman's forehead. If she couldn't remember, he would help her. Contentment washed over the man when he noticed how her lips had turned up in a subtle smile as mental images materialized in the recesses of her mind, bringing forth the memories which had been dormant all these years...

_The fresh, whimsical scent of the field daisies enveloped the little girl and her beloved fox companion as she ran ahead with him chasing playfully after her, carefree like the winds that swept gently through the vast lands. Her spirited laughter filled his sensitive ears, to which he answered with excited yips of his own, eliciting gleeful yelps from her._

_He loved the way her hair shone with the golden glow of the sun rays, it was nothing like his silvery coat. Silver gave people the impression of being cold, while gold was just like her - warm, comforting and welcoming, yet at the same time, so luxurious and elegant._

_Then she stopped running, turning around to bend slightly at the knees as she opened her arms in a clear invitation for him to leap into her embrace._

_Such play had always been his favorite, as they both knew very well. With a burst of renewed strength, the little ball of snowy fur hurtled into Rangiku's waiting arms, sending both of them tumbling over onto the grass. Tackling her fox kit playfully as he frisked and pranced around her, Rangiku realized that this was the first time she had felt so alive and joyful in a very long time. She was enjoying life, being grateful for being alive and she had a friend to call her own._

_Laughing, she held her fox kit tightly to herself as they continued tumbling and rolling among the blooming daisies, until coming to halt with Gin sprawled on her chest. His garnet orbs practically glowed with joy as he leaned forward to lick the little girl's nose, and Rangiku squealed at the ticklish sensation._

_Finally, when her childish laughter died down, angelic blue eyes fixed themselves on the snowy bundle of joy in front of her._

_"Gin...we will always be together," She asked sweetly, stroking his soft fur from head to tail bone. "Won't we?"_

The silver-haired man smiled as their shared memories revisited his mind, and he nuzzled the sleeping girl affectionately once more, giving her a light, teasing lick on the tip of her nose. He was still having a hard time accepting the fact that the skinny little girl he had grown to love so much had grown up to become such a mesmerizing creature.

"We will, Rangiku."

"Mmm..." A barely audible groan of contentment came from the slumbering beauty as she stirred. Caught in the realm between dreams and reality, Rangiku felt as if she was seeing everything in front of her own eyes. Another smile graced her lips as she looked back on those memories fondly, recalling the days when she had been nothing but a impoverished, often undernourished, little girl with a sweet four-legged friend for company.

Those memories had not visited her for a very long time, she realized. Perhaps it was because she had grown up as time passed, and with age came a whole lot of responsibilities and duties. Gone was the childish innocence she once had, and gone was the feeling of having someone akin to a family member, despite him not being human. She had been devastated upon realizing that he had escaped, but time did a rather fine job at healing emotional wounds, and Rangiku figured that her little fox must be very happy no matter where he had gone to. That was the thought that made the subsequent lonely nights bearable, and soon after, she met Shuuhei.

She'd hate to compare friends, especially when one was human and one was not, but Rangiku had never felt as carefree around Shuuhei as she had felt around her little fox kit. When she had met Shuuhei for the first time, she was already a big girl at eleven years old. Her physical changes that came with puberty made her self-conscious and aware of the stark differences between a male and a female, and no matter how close they got in terms of friendship, she had been unable to relax fully in his company. He had always been the strong, brave boy who would undoubtedly grow up into a fine young man, and she was _his_ damsel in distress. Rangiku was Shuuhei's to protect against bullies and imaginary ghosts; she was probably a very big part of his identity as a strong, powerful male as well.

But with Gin...she was just Rangiku. She was herself.

Smiling at the mental images of her younger self playing with the fox kit against the breathtaking backdrop of a daisy field with a spectacular sunset, Rangiku realized that she missed him very, very much indeed.

It wasn't as if she hadn't contemplated keeping another pet. She had considered doing so, only to ditch the idea when she recalled the hurt she felt over Gin's departure. She was a self-confessed coward; she could never deal too well with rejection and departure. Lost in her rather melancholic thoughts, Rangiku continued staring at the sight of herself laying butterfly kisses on her little playmate's furry head, only to realize how the colorful mental image was slowly fading out into a drab expanse of gray, black and white...

_"Wait!"_ She called out, stretching her arm out in a bid to stop the image from disappearing, not understanding why her arm hurt so badly. _"Wait-"_

Angelic blue eyes opened with a start, and the words died on full petal lips when searing agony shot up the length of her arm. Groaning in pain, Rangiku felt her arm fall back limply by her side as the appendage throbbed with a dull, burning ache.

"My, my, ya shouldn't be movin', Ojou-han (Missy). Yer wounds are still healin', so stay still."

This voice...her confused mind fought hard to recall where she had first heard it. It was a clear, smooth male voice, with a heavy hint of light-hearted humor that prevented her from catching any other emotion. The only thing she could safely conclude was that whoever this was, he was from Kyoto. There was no way she could mistake that thick sing-song accent for anything else, and the way he had use 'han' instead of the standard Japanese 'san' for honorifics gave his Kyoto heritage away.

"Did ya sleep well?" The voice asked again, and the memories of the horrifying near-death experience earlier came back like a raging tide to crash into her. This voice...she knew it, it belonged to her savior.

Struggling to get up into a sitting position on the futon, Rangiku felt a pair of thin yet strong hands help her up. She caught the lingering musky scent of fresh marigold along with the warmth presence of the man by her side, and she was glad for the dim lighting in the room, since it could hide the blush that had crept up her face.

A candle was held close to her to illuminate the surroundings for her vision, and she finally managed to lay eyes on the man who had rescued her from certain death.

He grinned widely at her, and she simply stared at him with lips that parted and closed slightly, as if she was lost for words.

Her savior was a young man who appeared to be in his early twenties, with the most beautiful faint lavender silver hair which seemed to glow as moonshine streamed in from the outside to highlight it. His hair made him look like a little boy with how floppy yet neat it was, shielding most of his forehead from sight. From his gaunt, pale face, she could see that he was very thin, with curious yet oddly attractive sharp features set within. Eyes narrowed into slits with a light crease between his brows, and a mouth that seemed to have been smiling forever...his features intimidated her a little with how dangerously, boyishly handsome they made him.

He seemed so familiar to her, as if she had known him prior to this. Yet the moonlight and the paleness of his hair and skin made him look almost ethereal and otherworldly, unlike any other man she had ever met in her life.

If it did not sound so weird and crazy, Rangiku would have said that he actually looked like a-

"Aah, do I 'ave somethin' on my face?" He interrupted, tilting his head in a childish gesture as a bony finger pointed itself at his face.

"Oh, no," Rangiku replied, flustered and embarrassed for having been caught staring transfixed at the man. He must be thinking that she was some weirdo for staring so impolitely. "I...I just-"

"Gin," Her savior continued grinning at her, watching her icy blue eyes widen prettily in shock while her lips parted wordlessly. "Ichimaru Gin. Ya?"

_Gin...his name is...Gin?_

Rangiku knew it was probably very rude of her to continue looking at this curious silver-haired man, but she could not tear her eyes away as his name repeated itself again and again within her mind. Of course, the name 'Gin' was a very fitting one for this man, considering how it meant 'silver', and it suited his physical attributes so perfectly.

"Gin..." She whispered softly, still taking in his face with poorly concealed curiosity and wonder. _What a coincidence...just when she had dreamt of..._

"Oh!" The silver-haired young man exclaimed as if in surprise, lifting his brows. "Yer name's Gin as well?"

That elicited an expression of surprise and confusion from Rangiku, before a widened smile on Gin's face made her realize that he was teasing her. So he had a sense of humor, she realized, relaxing immediately as merry laughter escaped her. Her laughter was rich and clear, like the bells on the wind chimes which people hung out on the eaves of their roofs during summer.

"That's a rather...unique name. My name is Matsumoto Rangiku." She smiled politely, bowing as much as she could without straining the deep bite wounds on her shoulder.

"Aah, Rangiku. Pretty name." Gin commented, noting how the strawberry blonde girl was once again trying to study his face discreetly. She was indeed a curious little girl, and definitely rather astute in her observations as well.

Frowning, Rangiku asked in a voice which revealed her confusion and uncertainty. "Ichimaru-san...do I know you?"

"As of two minutes ago, yeah." The slightly patronizing smile never once left his face.

"No, no...as in, before this. Before today." She clarified, though she had no idea that he knew very well what she was referring to. "I seem to have met you before..."

"Nah..." He smiled dismissively, waving a hand as if it could dispel her suspicions. "I'll always remember the pretty ones, so I couldn't 'ave met ya."

Her face became very downcast as she realized that what he was saying was true; there was no way she could have seen him before. Besides, he spoke with a distinct Kyoto accent, and she did not know anyone from Kyoto. Yet he was so familiar, and there was this strong gut feeling within her that insisted she had known him all along.

"I guess so..." Rangiku mumbled softly, before looking up again at her strange savior with gratitude shining in her eyes. "Thank you for saving my life, Ichimaru-san. If it wasn't for you, I'd be dead by now."

Shaking his head with the slightly creepy smile of his, the silver-haired man looked into sweet, angelic blue eyes with his own turquoise-tinged ones, before saying softly, "It'll always be Gin to ya, Rangiku."

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_To be continued..._


	5. Dried Persimmons

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Thank you for your encouraging reviews, **Dark-Frappe, Maddie-san, xGin, Tinni, ShadowDemonQueen97, piper, RabbitBleachFan, niki, Panther X, Kigaroo, carzla! ***hands out Gin's homemade dried persimmons* This chapter does not move on too much in plot, but there will be many FLUFF!moments which I am sure you guys will enjoy. Personally, I've had enough of GinRan angst from the original manga…a girl can only take so much! :(

And just to clarify, as most of you should already have established logically by now, this is an AU fic for the Gin/Ran pairing. There will be no Seireitei, Shikai, Bankai or Ichimaru Taichou or whatsoever. It's just GinRan in their little alternate universe, set according to my plot line :) Enjoy reading!

**The White Fox**

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Despite being well on her way to a full recovery, Rangiku was nonetheless still weak and sore from the painful wounds which the vicious wild dogs had inflicted on her. The scratches on her legs and arms were showing signs of scabbing over, but the deep lacerations and bite wounds on her shoulder and back remained raw and terribly sensitive to the slightest touch. Three days had gone by since she had woken up from the nightmarish incident, and it also marked the third day of her life with a certain man named Ichimaru Gin.

Gin was…for the lack of a better word, strange. He was very attentive and kind to her, taking care of her needs and ensuring that she was comfortable at all times. While this would not come as a surprise to Rangiku if it was Shuuhei doing so for her, she was inwardly perplexed by how natural Gin seemed to take to his new role as her caretaker. It was as if his life revolved only around her, and he seemed perfectly contented and at ease as he did so.

How could he be so relaxed around her? She was a complete stranger, wasn't she?

He was so strange, from his Kyoto accent to his curious fox-like appearance to his mannerisms.

Yet what was stranger was the way she had naturally accepted his presence. She knew she should have been intimidated by his mysterious slit eyes, creepy smile and the perpetual impression of being up to no good, but Rangiku felt as if she had known Ichimaru Gin forever. He was so mysterious, barely talking about himself though he loved to ask questions about her, but even so, Rangiku never felt like there was a barrier between them.

Whenever he was by her side, she would feel an overwhelmingly peaceful sensation wash over her. It was unlike anything she had felt in a very long time – with Shuuhei, despite how much she liked him as a person, Rangiku had always felt the need for _more_. She could never pinpoint what 'more' encompassed, but there was always something missing from their interaction. With Gin, she felt contented and peaceful, even though this contentment was something she could not explain.

But of course, he was nonetheless an adult man, and she, a female. Certain _inconveniences_ were inevitable.

Such as the one at the moment.

"Aa, no, it's really okay, I can do it by myself!" She felt her face burn with embarrassment as Gin lowered his face down towards hers, reaching out with his hands to take the herbal ointment and fresh strips of bandages from hers. Rangiku was trying to change her bandages, but unfortunately for her, her savior was not quite willing to allow her to do it by herself.

"No. I'll do it." The smile lingered as always, while his voice was cool yet warm at the same time.

Rangiku was no stranger when it came to harmless, fun flirting with men. Yet in the presence of this bizarre, elusive stranger, she found herself highly self-conscious, worrying about every aspect like her appearance, her mannerisms and speech. "But…I can-"

He pouted as if he was a child begging for a coin to buy candy, before removing her slightly reluctant hands from the ointment and bandages. "But I wanna do it fer ya, Rangiku."

"No."

"I insist." Gin continued smiling down at her, ignoring her mock reproachful look as she finally relented. "Ahh, Rangiku's really pretty when she's annoyed and helpless. Now let's get you out of this…"

Then, with his deft and nimble fingers, he helped her remove the soft cotton nagajuban which she had on, tugging the top off her shoulders so that the fabric gathered around her waist. Bare and exposed from the waist up, Rangiku could only hold the thin blanket in her lap to her chest to salvage remnants of modesty as she sat with her back to Gin, allowing him to gather her hair and place the gathered tresses in front.

"Aah, it's such a shame ta see somethin' so beautiful get marred by scratches. But ya'll be fine in no time, Rangiku." He practically sang in his merry lilt, dabbing herbal ointment gently onto the slowly healing flesh, cooing when she hissed in pain.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt ya?" He asked, stroking her nape gently as if to comfort her.

Shaking her head, she said softly, "I'm alright. You can continue."

"Now, now, Rangiku's such a good girl…" He would purr, leaving her blushing like a summer tomato, feeling so helpless and self-conscious in his hands.

It was so ironical how she was reacting to him like a bashful teen, when she had never been too self-conscious around men. If Shuuhei or any of her drinking buddies like Iba cooed and called her 'a good girl', she would have probably laughed her head off, hurled a _sake_ jug at their heads and holler in her drunken state that she was the furthest thing from a good girl.

Strangely enough, something which would have come across as a joke to her when spoken from the lips of other men sounded so intimate and gentle when it was spoken from Gin's lips – it made her want to be a good girl, and on top of that, be _his_ good girl-

_Wait, what was that thought?_ Rangiku thought, horrified. Did she just inwardly decide that it was a nice idea to be Ichimaru Gin's _'good girl'_? That was so wrong, so absurd…

As Rangiku sported a fiery crimson on her face right down to her strawberry blonde tresses' roots, she failed to notice the way a knowing smirk had flitted across a certain silver-haired man's foxy features.

But she definitely noticed the way his cool fingers had lingered on the juncture between her neck and shoulder long after he was done with the bandages.

It should have scared her or annoyed her, but she had to admit…

…it was nice.

Then those fingers left, as if they had never been there. The warmth which lingered on her skin soon dissipated.

"Rangiku, are ya hungry?"

She nodded, feeling her stomach groan in protest as another hunger pang struck. Rather horrified with herself, Rangiku bent down and cradled her middle as if to soothe it, only to gasp in surprise when she looked up to see a dried persimmon held in front of her.

_Dried…persimmon?_ She thought blankly, lost in the shock brought about by images of déjà vu. The faint, sweet scent of the dried fruit snack wafted near her nose, and she noted the familiar fragrance and the light dusting of fine sugar over the persimmon.

The persimmon in front of her had been dried in same way as how she prepared _her _dried persimmons. While everyone in the village knew how to dry persimmons out in the sun, it was common knowledge that everyone had their own way of doing so. It was just like miso soup – every mother had a different way of cooking it, and every child could identify their home's miso soup by taste.

Some people chose to sweeten their persimmons in heavy syrup; some chose to pit their persimmons prior to sun-drying, but Rangiku always dusted a layer of sugar over hers. It was something she came up with; no one else did it like she did.

"Ya don't like dried persimmon?" Gin asked playfully when he noticed Rangiku's poorly concealed astonishment.

"How did you…" She started, reaching up to take the fruit from him before taking a bite out of the leathery flesh. The delightful burst of sweetness on her tongue evoked a surge of memories and thoughts. "…it tastes the same…"

Gin feigned confusion, scratching the back of his head in what appeared to be an awkward manner. "Don't all persimmons taste the same?"

"No…how did you even…why do you brush a layer of sugar over your dried persimmon?" Rangiku asked, staring up at the silver-haired man in confusion from her sitting position on the futon.

"Aah." Gin smiled even wider, tilting his head to the side. "It's my secret recipe, but I'll tell ya. A friend of mine used ta do that all the time. She'd dry 'em in the sun, take 'em in and coat 'em in pounded sugar."

That was _exactly _how she dried her persimmons.

"Why're ya so surprised, Rangiku?" Gin asked between bites of the dried persimmon in his hand. "Y'haven't heard of that method?"

"It's probably nothing, but…" The lovely strawberry blonde frowned at the fruit held between her index finger and thumb. "Your friend dries her persimmons just like I do. I thought I was the only one who knew how to do so."

"Maybe ya are the only one."

"What?" The word escaped her lips as a surprised whisper as she frowned at him, studying the perpetual smile which seemed every so subtly uneasy at the moment. Rangiku did not mean to sound so impolite, but Gin had definitely said something very, very strange.

"Hm?" Gin continued smiling down upon Rangiku, taking one final bite from the persimmon with great relish. "Ya remind me of my friend, y'kno'?"

"Really?" Angelic blue eyes lit up as the girl soon forgot about the strange comment made by her mysterious savior moments ago. Looking up at Gin, Rangiku could not hold the chuckle of amusement when she saw his face. His mouth and the tip of his nose was stained with the heavy, sugary juice from the persimmon, just like a certain little friend she used to have…

"Why're ya so amused?" He drawled in his sing-song Kyoto accent, watching her shake her magnificent crown of fiery tresses in mirth.

Then blue eyes shining with peaceful contentment met his slit eyes, and he heard her answer.

"Because you remind me of a friend as well."

"Really? Is he or she a nice friend?" Gin smiled, and this time round, Rangiku thought the smile to be more genuine that the ones she had grown accustomed to seeing. It made this silver-haired enigma look even more attractive – he had been so in the mysterious, forbidden manner, but now, simple contentment made him look so very boyishly handsome.

Rangiku pondered over his question for a second, before smiling and nodding in agreement. "He's the best I've ever had."

Knowing exactly who the girl was referring to, Gin lifted an eyebrow and asked casually, "Had? He's no longer around?"

"Aah." The reply was simple, but it held a forlorn and abandoned note to it. "He left many years ago, and I've no idea where he is now. For all I know, he might no longer be among the living…"

_That's where you're wrong, Rangiku…I'm very much alive and kickin',_ Gin thought with a tiny smirk as he felt raw waves of loneliness radiate from the lovely strawberry blonde.

"Do ya think ya 'ave a chance of seein' him again?"

Rangiku's laughter was almost scornful in its inaudibility. "No. It's been ten years, you know? That's a terribly long time, isn't it?"

"It's a pretty long time, but ya'll see him again." Gin plopped himself down by Rangiku's side on the futon, and the girl promptly shifted to make room for him.

Pretty blue eyes widened questioningly as Rangiku's mind processed Gin's awkwardly comforting yet confusing statement. What did he mean by that? Sometimes, Gin had the weirdest way of speaking, and she wasn't only referring to his accent.

"You speak as if you're sure of it." She frowned. "But no matter what you say, it's too late. He has left long ago. I've already given up on him, and am convinced that I'll never see him again in my entire life."

"Or maybe you've already done so." Gin did not seem to be bothered by her slightly accusing tone.

Rangiku settled for frowning at him with an exasperated smile lingering on her lips, before eventually giving up with an amused sigh. "I have no idea if you're aware of this, but you have the strangest way of talking at times."

"Are ya sure it's not my Kyoto dialect?" He was still childlike and teasing even though she had clearly pointed out that she found him rather bizarre.

"Trust me, it's more than that. I have no idea why, but you…I keep feeling as if I have known you before this. I don't know how or when or where, but…I just know you…since a very, very long time ago…" Rangiku's voice trailed off into nothingness, and the earlier teasing atmosphere in the air had somehow dissipated along with her words. All that remained was an emotional weight which the girl had been holding on to for a decade, and it became very tangible indeed.

Slit eyes which usually reflected amusement and perhaps even perverse pleasure parted slowly to reveal a fraction of turquoise orbs which locked her icy blue ones effectively. As if by magic, the cheeky, mischievous grin obeyed gravity for once and dipped at the sides to resemble a frown. His mask, the one which shielded him from all the agonies of this cruel world, slipped off.

"Rangiku…" Gin whispered her name once, and did so again. "Rangiku…"

Those four hiragana syllables of her name had never sounded better or more sensual coming from anyone else's lips; they reverberated up and down the column of her spine like teasing fingers of a gentle lover.

"Gin…" She breathed softly, savoring the taste of the name on her lips. Her lips were so accustomed to this name, remembering it so fondly despite having cried the name out again and again on that devastating night so many years ago. They were obviously two different individuals, which was obvious since one was human and the other, a fox, but still, Rangiku sought comfort in repeating the name which had accompanied her in her childhood.

Her hand reached out slowly, as if in a trance, to touch the lavender-tinged silver that was his hair. The boyish, youthful cut suited Gin's lanky frame and sharp face so perfectly, and she couldn't help the small sigh of awe when she realized that those silvery strands were just as soft as they appeared to be. Curious fingers grew more comfortable with every tentative touch, and soon, her palm was resting snugly against his cool cheek, feeling the slight bump of bone underneath skin.

_He is so skinny…_she thought absentmindedly, and angelic blue eyes continued to stare into mesmerizing turquoise pools until she felt movement under her palm. Gin's head tilted to the side, and she could have sworn; he was nuzzling his cheek against her palm as if it was the most natural thing to do in the world…

It was then when her rationality kicked in; jerking her out of her dreamlike reverie before screaming in her mind for her to reflect on just how weird and crazy she had been acting. This man was almost a stranger for goodness' sake! She had not done so to even Shuuhei, whom she had known since she was eleven, and was supposedly together with.

"I…I am sorry…" She hurriedly muttered, pulling her hand back to herself to prevent that appendage from doing something so uncalled for again.

Yet alas, the slit eyes were back on the eerily pale visage, and the smile was plastered on again as if nothing had transpired between the two of them. "What happened?" Gin drawled in his merry accent again, successfully easing the tension that had materialized in the air. "Why do ya look so dazed?"

Recovering from her shock and bout of self-consciousness, Rangiku hurriedly smiled and shook her head. Since Gin was helpful enough to change the topic to prevent embarrassment on her part, she might as well play along. They could pretend that nothing had happened, and everything would be good. "I…I was wondering, since I told you about my friend, why don't you tell me about yours?"

"My friend?" Gin asked, frowning slightly before relaxing into a languid smile. "She's a very beautiful girl."

Rangiku had no idea why, but the idea of Gin having a very attractive female friend felt very unpleasant to her, though she soon shrugged the feeling off.

"But alas, my lovely friend seems ta 'ave given up on me fer leavin' her alone."

There was something about his words that made Rangiku's heart skip a beat. Narrowing her eyes at the silver-haired man, she asked softly, "You…left her?"

"Not tha' I had a choice, but yes. How can I make her happy again?"

Rangiku settled for looking at her hands folded in her lap, playing with her fingernails absentmindedly. She knew the feeling very well; it was exactly what she had gone through.

"It's hard to…those who have been left behind suffer the most. The loneliness…it is terrible, and it makes it hard to forgive…"

"Aah. That's where my problem is." Gin's voice caused her head to snap up such that she was looking at him directly in the eyes again.

"What is it?" Rangiku's eyes narrowed, dreading the barrage of excuses which men are so fond of using. She didn't wish for Gin to be one of those typical men who had the tendency to find excuses for every wrong he committed.

He smiled lopsidedly, as if wistful.

"She doesn't kno' that though I've left, I've always been around her."

_

* * *

To be continued…_


End file.
